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Viral Florida Man Known as 'Lietenant Dan' Arrested for Trespassing in Tampa Bay

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Viral Florida Man Known as 'Lietenant Dan' Arrested for Trespassing in Tampa Bay


Joseph Malinowski, the 54-year-old Florida man who made headlines ahead of Hurricane Milton by claiming he would ride out the massive storm on a boat harbored in Tampa Bay — despite evacuation orders — was arrested on Friday, adding to his already substantial rap sheet.

Malinowski was charged with “two outstanding warrants for failing to appear in court, and one charge of trespassing in a city park after warning,” 10 Tampa Bay reporter Aaron Parseghian posted on X (formerly Twitter) Friday afternoon. According to Parseghian, Tampa Bay Police also said that Malinowski “did not have a marine sanitation device aboard his unregistered boat, and did not have a record of proper waste disposal.” He’d failed to leave the dock a day after he had been instructed to relocate, at which point he was taken into custody.

Refusing to leave the dock is what made Malinowski famous as two major hurricanes bore down on Florida in late September and early October. Before Helene, Malinowski drew attention thanks to video interviews with Tampa TikTok creator Terrence Concannon in which he prepared to ride out the storm on his small sailboat. Then, as Milton veered directly toward the city, Malinowski went viral in videos where he explained to locals, newscasters, and law enforcement that he wasn’t going anywhere and would refuse any offer of shelter. Predictions of a deadly storm surge had triggered mandatory evacuations in the region, with Tampa Mayor Jane Castor warning, “If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you’re going to die.”

Malinowski’s defiance had some observers disparaging him as a lunatic, while others celebrated him as an underdog hero and survivor they affectionately called “Lieutenant Dan,” after the double-amputee character in Forrest Gump. (Malinowski’s left leg was amputated after a car accident when he was 16, and he uses crutches; Concannon popularized the nickname.) The outpouring of support culminated in a GoFundMe campaign organized by Concannon, supposedly intended to finance a new boat for Malinowski so he could follow his “seafaring dreams.” The fundraiser ended with nearly $45,000 in donations.

Ultimately, Malinowski chose not to weather the torrential winds and rains of another tropical cyclone. After posting updates from his boat on his own TikTok account, he relented and allowed police to take him to a shelter. Mayor Castor on Oct. 9 said the authorities had saved his life, adding: “If we can get Lieutenant Dan to go to a shelter, we can get anybody to do that.”

While Malinowski and his boat separately survived Milton’s aftermath, his lengthy criminal record came up for discussion. In 2023, he had been charged for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office: according to their report, he had argued with a woman sitting on a bench, then set it on fire using gasoline and splashed some of it on her. Other past charges included an attempted breaking and entering, battery against a police officer, and drug possession, as well as “failure to transfer ownership of a vessel within 30 days.” It’s unclear whether he is the legal owner of his now famous boat.

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Malinowski had briefly promoted a new social media account on the streaming website Kick, with streamer Adin Ross purportedly enticing him to join the site with the promise of a $100,000 deal. But Malinowski dropped the N-word during his first stream, and Ross instead said he would offer the Kick deal to Concannon, who he said would livestream around the city of Tampa. Malinowski’s use of the slur came as he filmed several rants alleging that Concannon was withholding the money raised in his name with the GoFundMe campaign. The feud seems to have ended any collaboration between the pair.

All in all, an eventful month for Malinowski — and the latest setbacks seem unlikely to dampen his internet fame. Whatever he gets up to after this latest stint in jail, we’re sure to hear about it from the man himself.

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Will Florida see its next named storm this weekend?

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Will Florida see its next named storm this weekend?


Forecasters are tracking a broad disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida coast that could bring much-needed rain to parched communities this weekend.

Gulf tropical development potential

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What we know:

Models continue to indicate there is a potential for an area of low pressure to form over the northeast Gulf off the west coast of Florida over the weekend.

The National Hurricane Center says an area in the Gulf has a 30% chance of tropical development over the next seven days.

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Models a shifting away from the forecast of the system moving over the state and off the coast of the Carolinas.  Models are now indicating a more likely scenario that it lingers in the Gulf over the weekend and may drift more to the northwest near the Florida Panhandle or Louisiana coast. Early next week conditions look like they will become less conducive and may prohibit much development. Regardless of whether it organizes, the system will bring tropical downpours and increased moisture across Florida and parts of the Southeast. 

FOX 13 Meteorologist Jim Weber states we are close to 7.50″ below average on our rainfall in Tampa for the year. A weak area of low pressure or tropical system can be beneficial in helping to make up for the rainfall deficit we have been experiencing.  Drought conditions continue over much of the state of Florida. If this system ends up drifting more westward, it would limit the total amount of rainfall and the highest totals would be along the immediate west coast.

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Atlantic tropical development potential

A tropical wave southeast of the Cabo Verde Islands remains disorganized.

It is moving west-northwest and, according to the NHC, there is a chance for slow development over the next day or two.  By the weekend it is expected to move into less conducive conditions and Saharan dust will begin to affect this wave, limiting its moisture. The time for this system to develop is very limited and will not develop after the weekend.

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The NHC is giving it a 10% chance of developing. 

Weather factors and storm names

What we don’t know:

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Officials cannot yet confirm if the disturbance will overcome environmental hurdles like land interaction, wind shear and dry air. Computer models remain uncertain on how much this system will develop over the waters of the Gulf.  If it stays over the warm waters of the Gulf longer, it may give it additional time to organize. Interactions with land and wind shear will likely pose obstacles in further development.

To become a tropical system, it must develop a defined circulation with organized thunderstorms. If it reaches maximum sustained winds of 39 mph, it will become a tropical storm and be named Bertha. 

The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13Meteorologist Jim Weber, the National Hurricane Center tropical weather outlooks, as well as forecast computer models.

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Florida TODAY: Homes get expensive, license to blush, fuzzy invader

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Florida TODAY: Homes get expensive, license to blush, fuzzy invader



Sign up to get the Florida TODAY statewide newsletter in your inbox weekdays. It’s free.

Here’s a quick glimpse of Florida TODAY, our statewide newsletter:

How long does it take to save for a first home, Florida?

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In Jacksonville, the answer could be less than a year.

In Miami, it could be more than 40.

A new report suggests homeownership is slipping further out of reach for many Florida workers — especially those in retail and restaurant jobs.

There’s a lot more going on across the Sunshine State:

License to blush: A South Florida retiree was taken aback by her new license plate. Her family thinks she should keep it. Would you?

Tiny terror: Florida is racing to stop a fuzzy new invasive pest that can wipe out a field in weeks. It has a taste for everything from grass to corn to sugarcane.

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Small miracle: Black skimmer chicks are back on the Sanibel Causeway for the first time in 30 years. Photojournalist Andrew West got a close look at the comeback.

That’s not all. Want the full statewide newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to Florida TODAY

NOTE: If you are a digital or print subscriber to a USA TODAY Network-Florida site, follow this link to subscribe via your local site.



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‘Experimental explosion’ reported off Central Florida coast, experts say

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‘Experimental explosion’ reported off Central Florida coast, experts say


VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – If you felt shaking along Florida’s east coast on Thursday, you’re not alone. But it wasn’t an earthquake.

A strong “experimental explosion” was reported in the waters off Central Florida on Thursday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The USGS website indicates that the explosion happened around 3:04 p.m., roughly 91 miles east-northeast of Ponce Inlet.

Experimental explosion

Per the agency, the event registered a preliminary magnitude of 3.9. However, few other details about what may have caused the explosion have been provided at this time.

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“The recorded ground motions from this event are more typical of an explosion than a naturally occurring earthquake,” the USGS website reads. “The Navy has conducted Full Ship Shock Trials in this region in the past.”

[A LOOK BACK: U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford performs shock trials on an aircraft carrier in 2021]

News 6 has reached out to Navy officials for more information and is awaiting additional details.

Anyone who felt the impact of the explosion is urged to report their experience here.

Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.



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